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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24988507">Testing the Waters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thistreasurehunter/pseuds/thistreasurehunter'>thistreasurehunter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>After the Rain [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Outer Banks (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys Kissing, Developing Relationship, Healthy Relationships, Kissing, M/M, Talking, communication is key, first gay relationship, talking about feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:48:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24988507</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thistreasurehunter/pseuds/thistreasurehunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>JJ and Pope discuss their developing relationship.</p><p>Set three weeks after After the Rain, but this can also be read as a stand alone oneshot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>JJ/Pope (Outer Banks)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>After the Rain [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Testing the Waters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There’s no rush, you know.”</p><p>Pope froze. His avatar on the screen froze too before quickly being shot by one of the other players.</p><p>“Aw, dude no!” JJ exclaimed.</p><p>Pope’s side of the screen tinged red around the corners, but he wasn’t paying attention.</p><p>“What do you mean, ‘there’s no rush’?”</p><p>JJ paused the game and turned to look at him.</p><p>They were sitting on Pope’s bed, backs against the headboard, legs stretched out, controllers in hand, playing a game on Pope’s old PlayStation.</p><p>It had been three weeks since the afternoon when JJ had dared The Pogues to play a game of spin the bottle. Three weeks since JJ and Pope had first kissed in a dull, post-storm fug to the soundtrack of staccato raindrops and in front of an audience of their friends. Three weeks since a storm and a dare and an old beer bottle had helped something click into place between them that Pope had previously feared would otherwise have been left unsaid.</p><p>Pope’s heart clenches when he thinks about the fragility of that moment: about how that afternoon could so easily have turned out differently, about how they might never again have been granted the excuse to act on their repressed feelings, about how he might have gone on for the rest of his life without knowing what it felt like to kiss his best friend and to be kissed back. About how he might never have found out that his best friend tastes like the ocean, but smells like freshly cut grass after the rain. <em>Everything is fragile,</em> Pope thought. <em>Mind the corners.</em></p><p>Pope and JJ had taken things slowly after that. Outwardly, their relationship hadn’t changed much. If The Pogues hadn’t been there that afternoon they might not have noticed the subtle shift in their two friends. Pope noticed though. The warm weight of the closeness he always felt with JJ increasing: the casual touches, the shy smiles, the knowing glances, the single look shared across a crowded room that spoke volumes. JJ’s arm flung around his shoulders was now accompanied by a thumb softly stroking up and down his neck. A teasing quip was now followed by a quick kiss to the top of his head. Pope was leaning into this behaviour too. Sitting next to JJ on the HMS Pogue, or on the sofa at The Chateau, he let his leg rest against JJ’s. Toying with the ends of JJ’s salt-stiff hair when they lay on the beach drying off after a surfing session.</p><p>In quieter moments, their relationship had changed as well. In the stillness of the small hours, sprawled in an armchair on the porch of The Chateau after the others had drifted to bed, they pressed against one another, lips pushing and sucking and sliding in an intoxicating dance. Fingers trailing down forearms, slipping under shirts and following the curve of a spine. Tongues tracing patterns down the column of a neck, teeth lightly nipping, gentle tugs on hair. In these moments, Pope felt the throb of promise between them. It was alive, and palpable, and he could taste it in the air between them, feel it light his skin on fire and burn white hot in his veins.</p><p>They had never taken things any further, though. After that first afternoon, Pope and JJ had spoken freely; the platform of acceptance and reciprocation dampening any slight awkwardness and misplaced embarrassment of the moment. They had shyly acknowledged their interest in each other and their mutual hope that they could explore these new feelings together, taking things slowly, one step at a time. For several reasons, however, they had agreed that they would rather keep their developing relationship quiet for the time being. Pope wanted to understand more about his sexuality and these new feelings first, before speaking to his parents about them and JJ was wary about letting his dad find out he was attracted to men as well as women. So far, therefore, The Pogues were the only ones who knew. And for the time being, Pope and JJ wanted to keep it that way.</p><p>Earlier that day, JJ had turned up at Pope’s house and, as both his parents were at work, JJ had pulled Pope upstairs, stopping every few steps to plant a kiss on his lips, his shoulder, his eyebrow, his ear... By the time they got to Pope’s room they were breathless and laughing, collapsing on his bed with a huff and a giggle, in a tangle of sun-kissed limbs and soft eyes. JJ crawled up Pope’s body, catching his lips and time melted away into a blur of sighs and sharp breaths and slow exhales. As slowly as they were going, Pope could feel that pressure building between them again, starting like a hot twinge in his abdomen and slowly growing to a throbbing throughout his whole body. It was – all at once – all he needed and nowhere near enough. He was suddenly hyper aware of the languid roll of JJ’s hips, the solid, warm pressure on his thigh and the soft pads of JJ’s fingertips against the smooth skin of his back, right above the waistband of his shorts.</p><p>JJ broke away from the kiss and looked into Pope’s eyes. <em>Assessing,</em> Pope thought.</p><p>“So, do you want to?” JJ asked simply.</p><p>Pope swallowed hard. <em>Yes,</em> he wanted to say. <em>Yes, yes, yes.</em> But a twinge of something else had joined the anticipation in his stomach. Nerves, perhaps? Maybe even a hint of fear? JJ must have read the hesitation on his face because he pulled away slightly, putting a little space between their bodies. Pope instinctively tightened his fingers on JJ’s bicep.</p><p>“Pope,” JJ began softly, looking down at him. But at that moment, both boys heard the rattle of the front door and the sound of Mrs Heyward entering the house.</p><p>They scrambled up and apart, self-consciously adjusting themselves. Pope flicked on the TV and JJ sprawled on his front, feigning interest in the show. A moment later there was a soft knock and Mrs Heyward cracked the door ajar.</p><p>“Hi mom.”</p><p>“Hi Mrs H.”</p><p>“Hi boys,” she said. “Just wanted to let you know I was home, Pope. You eating with us tonight JJ, dear?”</p><p>“Love to, if that’s okay with you guys?” JJ grinned.</p><p>“Of course it is sweetie,” she smiled and Pope nodded.</p><p>“I’ll call up when it’s ready,” she said leaving the room. They listened to her head downstairs and began clattering around in the kitchen. Pope caught JJ’s eye and grinned sheepishly. JJ smiled back then picked up the pair of controllers, throwing one to Pope and settling back against the headboard.</p><p>Now, with the game on pause and the sounds of Mrs Heyward moving around downstairs, Pope looked into JJ’s eyes and repeated quietly, “What did you mean, ‘there’s no rush’?”</p><p>“Well,” JJ said quietly, glancing at the slightly open door. “After earlier, you know. I just wanted you to know, there’s no rush.” He looked down at his hands and started fiddling with his thumb ring. “I didn’t want you to feel,” he exhaled, “I didn’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”</p><p>Pope watched the fingers slowly spin the ring.</p><p>“I didn’t,” he said slowly. “It was just…”</p><p>JJ looked up at him quickly.</p><p>Pope faltered, “I’m not sure how to explain it. I want to. Oh my god JJ, I <em>really</em> want to! But in the moment, I dunno, I just got a bit nervous.”</p><p>“This is new to both of us, you know,” JJ replied softly.</p><p>“Yeah but, more to me than you, you know.”</p><p>JJ scanned Pope’s face. “I guess,” JJ said finally. “If we’re just talking generally about being with another person. But this is different to being with a girl. This,” he said gesturing between them “is new for both of us. Not just the feelings, but the physical stuff as well. We’re both just finding our way here.”</p><p>Pope looked into the earnest blue eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” he smiled ruefully, “I think a lot of it might also have been me feeling a bit performance shy.” He felt his cheeks begin to heat and looked down shyly. “I just keep thinking about those girls and how experienced some of them might have been and how I’m going to be in comparison to that.”</p><p>“Yeah, but dude,” JJ huffed out a laugh, smiling at him “you’ll be starting with a major advantage.” Pope looked over and JJ wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Pope suppressed a little smile, looking down again. JJ tangled their fingers together on top of the bedspread.</p><p>“How about, next time we’re <em>there,</em>” JJ grinned, “and it’s right. How about we just” he paused, re-lacing his fingers with Pope’s. “How about we just, touch each other how we like to touch ourselves?”</p><p>Pope flicked his eyes up from the play of their fingers to meet JJ’s gaze and swallowed, feeling the heat behind the look. He breathed deeply, his chest starting to rise and fall, as he felt that hot, tight coil in his stomach twist again.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said, mouth dry and eyes fixed on the turbulent seas of JJ’s eyes. “Yeah, that sounds good.”</p><p>JJ’s smile was neither teasing, nor smug. It was just sweet and open and honest, as he squeezed Pope’s hand and then lifted his own to cup Pope’s chin and lean forward to give him a soft kiss. The barest press of slightly parted lips. It was a kiss of promise and hope and future. And in the shared breath and the space between them, Pope felt like he could float away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m very new to this, so comments/feedback would be amazing!</p><p>(Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Outer Banks characters or settings.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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